


Of Gifts And Christmas Trees

by Darth_Cannizard



Category: Joyeux Noël | Merry Christmas (2005)
Genre: Christmas Smut, Horstebert, M/M, World War I
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:13:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28268934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darth_Cannizard/pseuds/Darth_Cannizard
Summary: Oberleutnant Horstmayer is in a really bad mood. His men are trying to cheer him up by giving him a very special gift.
Relationships: Lt Audebert/Lt Horstmayer (Joyeux Noël)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	Of Gifts And Christmas Trees

**Author's Note:**

> This story is dedicated to our Joyeux Noel fandom and to all of you participating in it. This is also a Christmas gift for everyone. I hope you enjoy it and like it. And I also hope and wish our fandom a lot of wonderful stories to come in 2021. May the Muse of Writing always be with you!

Oberleutnant Horstmayer has been in a terribly bad mood for days. A terrible mood. His people have meanwhile started not to look at him in order not to provoke him, because every eye contact automatically leads them to be forced to do some impossible task. They try to avoid him in the trench as much as they can, which sometimes looks almost funny, because they press themselves against the wall when he goes past them. Some soldiers wish to have the magical ability to become invisible or to blend in with their surroundings like a chameleon.

"We have to do something, it can't go on like this," says Jörg at the Very Secret Meeting of the Non-Officers. There is an affirmative nod from everyone and mumbling. “We have to cheer him up somehow, the only question is how? Does anyone of you have an idea?"

"How about we get him a gift and decorate it nicely, then put it in his dugout? Surely that will make him happier," says _Gefreiter_ Oskar and everyone starts pondering what would be a nice gift for the Oberleutnant that would make him look less grim and cheer him up a little bit.

“I have an idea, _Kameraden_ , and it's really brilliant,” says Hans. "Let hear, let hear," it sounds from all sides.

"You noticed, just like me, that he always looks at a certain Frenchman as if he ... as if he wanted to eat him ..."

Jörg agrees immediately. "Yes, yes, the way Felix looks at my bowl when I eat something and he wants badly to have a bite."

“Everyone knows how much our Oberleutnant hates the French and one of them in particular,” says Walther. “Every time he sees Audebert he blushes and talks incoherently. You can tell how much he hates him.”

Hans nods in agreement. "And then I thought, how about we grab the _Franzmann_ , take him as a prisoner of war, tie him up well, decorate him with fir branches and decorations and give him to the Oberleutnant as a gift? So that he can do what he wants with him."

"What a wonderful idea," everyone shouts and Herbert adds: "You are a genius!"

Said and done.

The following evening they ambush the Frenchman when he sneaks around in no man's land late at night. Unfortunately he is fighting them, so he gets one over the head. Then they carry the unconscious man quietly and secretly into the german trench. He is tied up and unfortunately also gagged, because he tries to scream and then he gets stuck fir branches everywhere: under his arms, in the buttonholes, behind his ears. "Somehow he doesn't look so happy," says Jörg to Walther. Audebert is glaring at them shifting between outraged and pleading. They carry him to Horstmayer's dugout, where he is then placed on a chair. One of them keeps watch, the rest go to find their Oberleutnant.

" _Herr Oberleutnant_ ," says Jörg, as the officer is just in this moment climbing down into the trench. Apparently he was in no man's land. He's mumbling to himself, Jörg hears him say: "Damn it, first he says we'll meet tonight in no man's land, all of this _amour amour_ and then the bastard won't show up, I'm freezing my ass off and not even his people know where he is and he just breaks my heart..."

“What is it?!” Horstmayer snarls at him.

Jörg won't let his mood be spoiled. “We have a gift for you, _Herr Oberleutnant_. Because. You know. We thought it’s Christmas and you are far away from your family and we all understand that you can be sad because of that, or you can be disgruntled and in a bad mood…”

Horstmayer looks at him like at a cockroach. "Get to the point," he says impatiently, pursing his lips.

“We have got you a wonderful gift. It's waiting for you in your dugout."

Horstmayer looks at him icily.

" _Herr Oberleutnant_ , please, don't you want to take a look at it?"

Horstmayer rolls his eyes. But he likes his men, he feels responsible for them and if they believe, childish as they sometimes are, that lovesickness can be cured with a gift, then that is the case and he will play along.

He allows Jörg to grab his wrist and drag him to the dugout. Apparently everyone is already waiting for him. Everyone is smiling at him, there is saluting, then they briefly sing a few notes of _Heilige Nacht_. And then he is pushed into the room and the curtain, serving as the door, falls down behind him.

Everyone is eagerly listening to what is happening inside.

“It's a shame about the Frenchman, isn't it? But that's the way it is in war,” says Oskar to Jörg.

The latter just shrugs his shoulders briefly, “spoils of war,” he murmurs.

“It’s against the Hague Convention to hurt or kill a prisoner of war,” pipes Oskar in and is shushed by all others.

"We should have called Father Palmer to give the French the Last Rites because our Oberleutnant will be vicious," says Walther and Jörg looks at him with panic in his eyes. "What have we done?" he whispers.

At first it is very quiet in the dugout. Then they hear their Oberleutnant say: _Oh Grundgütiger!_ And then he changes to French and talks and talks, then the French officer's gag is apparently removed, because now they can also hear his voice. It goes on for a while and then, little by little, both voices become quieter. Start to whisper. The bed groans briefly under one weight and then a second one. Then it is very quiet.

10 minutes later Jörg can't take it any longer. He pushes the curtain aside very slowly and carefully. They did not expect to see this: their Oberleutnant is sitting on the bed and has his arm around his french prisoner of war. Who, in turn, is leaning his head on his shoulder. And they are holding hands, happiness and bliss on both of their faces. The fir branches, the twine, the gag, the Christmas decorations, the overturned chair lie around them on the floor.

„ _Schöne Weihnachten, Herr Oberleutnant!_ “ everyone shouts. „ _Joyeux Noël_ _, Kriegsgefangener!_ ”

Horstmayer looks at them with tears in his eyes. “Men, I have to thank you, you did so well! I'm the happiest person in the whole wide world right now.”

He kisses the Frenchman gently and lovingly on the forehead.

“ _Mon bien-aimé_ ,” says Audebert and hugs him even closer.


End file.
